Top 10 Internet Safety Rules

The internet has made many things easier for us, but it has also created a whole new venue for con-men. We hope to improve your safety while on the internet with this list of rules. Crooks can destroy our computers or access our personal information unless we learn to protect ourselves. Here’s how to do that.

Bookmark these internet safety rules !

1. Make sure your computer has a firewall.

Most computers come with a firewall installed. You should customize the privacy
settings, before you start browsing the internet using a new computer. If you have
several computers in your home, you can protect them all using a router with a firewall
installed. Some homeowners find that a secure router is more convenient. Firewalls help
prevent hackers from accessing the information stored in your computer’s memory.

2. Install an anti-virus software program.

Anti-virus software protects against viruses. Viruses are basically a kind of vandalism.
They serve no real purpose. The codes for many viruses are written by practical
jokesters. Once your computer is “infected”, everything seems to slow down.
Other programs may act strangely. Eventually, your system may crash all together.

3. Install an anti-spyware program.

Spyware and viruses are similar, but the purpose is not the same. People install spyware
in order to gain access to your personal information or to use your email address to send
spam to all of your friends.

4. Regularly upgrade the security features of your operating system.

Depending on the type of operating system that you have and the type of web browser
you use, you may receive notifications when upgrades or updates are available. You
should choose the “install now” option. The programs are upgraded regularly, because
hackers are constantly changing the ways they operate. You have to change, too.

These internet safety rules can help you avoid a lot of the common issues people get.

Programs are available to automatically upgrade or update, whenever a new patch or anti-
virus becomes available. If you don’t have an automatic version, you will need to install
the upgrades yourself. Hopefully, the system will notify you when one is available.

6. Choose good passwords and keep them in secure locations.

This might be number six, but it is one of the most important of the top 10 ways to
keep your computer safe online. Hackers have to figure out your passwords in order to
gain access to your system. There are cheap programs that allow them to do that. One
program tries every word in the dictionary.

A robber could enter your home and transfer money from your bank account or steal your

personal information, if they can find your passwords. Either keep your passwords on
your person at all times or store them in a locking box or safe.

Use different passwords for different websites. This will help limit the amount of
information stolen in case you are hacked. You can easily pick the first half of any name
and append a special number to the end to create passwords on the fly that you can recall
easily. Never use your debit pin number for anything online though.

Of all these internet safety rules this one is really important.

Passwords should be 8-10 characters long. Numbers and/or symbols should be included
along with lower case and upper case letters. Don’t use your kid’s names or anything
else that would be easy for a thief to figure out.

Change your passwords every three to six months just to be safe. You can use a
password auto-generator if you can’t come up with unique, difficult to crack passwords
on your own.

7. Invest in an external hard drive just in case.

No matter how good your security system or how unusual your passwords, no system
can be 100% safe. That’s why you need a backup system. You could store important
information on removable discs, but storing those discs becomes a problem. An
external hard drive is a good solution. It is not connected to the internet, can be
stored in a safe location and should have enough memory to serve all of your needs.

8. Think twice about file sharing.

File sharing can be tempting. Other internet users offer free software programs and other
downloads. But the files can easily contain viruses or spyware. Just think twice before
you accept these offers.

9. Learn to identify and avoid phishing scams.

Of all our internet safety rules, this one is very important. Phishing scams are used by individuals
and bogus companies to get your personal information. Social security numbers, bank account
numbers and credit card numbers are among the things they may ask for.

The emails they send typically look very authentic. It will appear to come from a creditor
that you do business with. You will be advised to click on a link included in the email to
verify your information.

The email may indicate that failure to click on the link and verify your info immediately
could result in your account being closed or cause other problems. Do not click on the
links. Call the creditor’s number that appears on your statement and explain the situation.

10. Read their privacy policies before dealing with an online merchant and look for a
security icon.

Although some scammers have become quite good at forging security icons, they usually
lack a page confirming their privacy policy. There may also be some differences in the
appearance of the icon, which usually resembles a shield.

In addition, you can look at the website address. Website addresses of non-secure sites
begin with “http”. As with most internet safety rules, this one is important too. Secure site
addresses begin with “https”. The “s” stands for secure.

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If you have not tried it yet you can click here to get a totally free 14 day trial. I think this will be one of your favorite downloads ever since you have been on the internet! Try it out for a week free and see if I’m exaggerating. I assure you that I’m not.

I think more companies should follow the Real Broadband Essentials lead and offer free 14 day trials of their products. It only shows the companies confidence in the quality of their product if they offer you a totally free 2 week trial to use their product.

Spyware Doctor is a great tool to remove spyware from your computer. It is very important to keep your computer spyware free to prevent errors and crashes. Spyware and adware can be very dangerous to your computer’s health and that is why you can let Spyware Doctor cure it!

Spyware Doctor has won many prestigious awards in the software field. Some of these awards include PC World best program and PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice. But it’s not just the experts that love Spyware Doctor, tons of everyday computer users agree that it is a great program.

The download of Spyware Doctor is quick and very simple. Right after the program finishes installation, it runs an update check to insure that you are getting the latest version of Spyware Doctor. This is a great feature to have so you don’t have to manually check for an update. Once Spyware Doctor is fully up to date you can open the program.

Another very helpful feature of Spyware Doctor is the Quick Start Guide. This is available to help you become familiar with the buttons, terms and navigation used in the program. There is also a Help menu for further information should you need more assistance.

PC Tools has made Spyware Doctor easy to manage for any computer user, this is made obvious when you see the home page, or interface, of the program. The System Status on the interface lists facts and numbers about your computer that can be both interesting and helpful. The buttons are easy to understand and there is virtually no confusion to be had. The most used button will most likely be your Start Scan Now button which is right there at the top.

My personal favorite part of Spyware Doctor is that is does NOT slow down your computer while it is performing a scan like several other spyware/adware programs do. Because it does not slow down your computer you can sit there and run other programs or browse the Internet while it works rather than just leave the computer until it’s finished!

There is more to Spyware Doctor than meets the eye. This program has many different features and things that it scans and repairs. This program uses IntelliGuard to protect your computer from malicious ActiveX particles. It will also remove tracking cookies, dialers, Trojans, and keyloggers from your PC while IntelliGuard is active.

Spyware Doctor is a great program and I am proud to have tested it out. Again, this program is great for all computer users alike and can really save you time and money when it comes to having spyware, adware, cookies and more.

One thing you immediately notice upon installing the Spyware Doctor is the ease of updating the program. After you install and open the program you are prompted to run the Smart Update feature. This insures that you have the latest version of Spyware Doctor at all times. After the updating is complete you are free to open and use the program.

Before you begin using Spyware Doctor you may be interested in reviewing the Spyware Doctor Quick Start Guide. This is an overview of the most common tools used in Spyware Doctor. The guide shows the buttons of the interface and what each does or represents. The guide also lets you know about the navigation of Spyware Doctor and how to use the Smart Update feature. If you need further assistance on Spyware Doctor you can use their Help option for more detailed information.

The main screen, or the interface, of Spyware Doctor is easy to understand and use. The simplicity is refreshing but also can leave you wanting more. I do enjoy all of the numbers and facts listed under System Status on the interface. For example, when the subscription expires or when your last scan was done. I like that it is very obvious as to whether your protection is on or off, too.

Spyware Doctor Scan

A really great thing about this program is that you are still able to run and operate other programs and such of your computer WHILE running the scan of Spyware Doctor. All too often your computer slows down drastically when a search or scan of this nature is being done. With some, you might as well start the scan and leave the computer until it finishes, but not with this particular program.

Don’t let the straightforward name fool you, Spyware Doctor does much more than watch out for simple spyware. This program uses IntelliGuard to immunize your computer against malicious ActiveX objects. Spyware Doctor will also rid tracking cookies, Trojans, dialers and keyloggers from your PC while IntelliGuard is in the active stage.

I have noted many great features of Spyware Doctor and overall I think it’s a great program to use. This program is not only something I now, personally use, but something I also recommend to any and all PC users. The value of your dollar goes so far when using Spyware Doctor to prevent horrible things from happening to your computer that it would be crazy not to be safe and get this program.